This is Our Story

October 3, 2016
Grant Perkins is killed while on a hunting trip with his four best friends, who concoct a tale to keep themselves out of jail. As part of her internship with the district attorney’s office, senior Kate Marino is assigned to help unravel the boys’ lies, despite their connections to their Louisiana town’s most powerful citizens. However, Kate’s boss doesn’t know that she is harboring secrets that link her to the River Point Boys, and everyone—including Grant—has something to hide. Elston’s (The Rules for Disappearing) exploration of privilege, justice, and digital media unfolds through a combination of Kate’s Nancy Drew–like investigation, the anonymous shooter’s thoughts, and the mounting evidence; the narrative feels ripped from the headlines, a contemporary cautionary tale with enough wrinkles to make all four boys seem like likely suspects. A subplot involving a photo of three passed-out girls adds another layer of sordid small-town intrigue, and Kate’s efforts to solve the case highlights the duality of the human soul, the ways technology can twist the truth, and the difficulty of knowing who to trust. Ages 12–up. Agent: Sarah Davies, Greenhouse Literary.

If your friend's dead body falls in the woods and nobody is around to see which of you pulled the trigger, what will your story be?In an after-party haze of booze and drugs, five white, wealthy best friends go hunting in the River Point woods--only four return. With one of the boys, Grant, shot dead in an apparent accident and no one willing to admit responsibility, Logan, Henry, John Michael, and Shep vow to keep silent in order to protect their remaining group and the killer among them. But secrets have a way of burrowing through bonds, and the tightknit foursome, dubbed the River Point Boys, has already started to unravel. Meanwhile, budding photojournalist and white senior Kate Marino is interning at the district attorney's office, where her boss is assigned the River Point case. The DA wants the case to disappear quietly, but Kate is determined see justice done. As she assists with examining the boys' behavior during interrogations and in person, she discovers that nothing about the case, the suspects, or even her own connection to the boys is what it seems. The narration alternates between Kate's fervent suspicions and a River Point Boy's cold manipulation, leaving readers to wade through the many vengeful motives that spill from a wellspring of affluence, privilege, and corruption. Chilling and suspenseful, with just the right number of twists. (Mystery. 13-17) COPYRIGHT(1) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

November 1, 2016

Gr 8 Up-Kate Marino is shocked to learn that Grant Perkins is dead. She and Grant had been texting for months, and Kate had revealed things about herself that she hadn't told anyone, ever. So when her mother's boss gets assigned to the murder investigation, Kate uses her after-school job at the district attorney's office to look into the case. The worst part? One of Grant's best friends is his killer, but none of their other friends are talking. As Kate begins to uncover the schism driving the boys apart, she learns a distressing truth from Grant's best friend, Shep, that completely unravels everything she thought she knew, and the more her investigation deepens, the more dangerous it becomes. Will she be able to learn the truth in time? With this gripping novel, Elston has created an accessible legal thriller for a teenage audience. Kate is a very appealing and recognizable character: smart, funny, and strong. Refusing to be paralyzed by her emotions, she feels compelled to do something about injustice and tries to turn her grief into positive momentum. Readers will most likely be shocked and surprised right along with Kate as they, too, follow the many twists and turns of Grant's murder case. VERDICT Highly recommended for young adult collections in public and school libraries.-Ryan P. Donovan, Southborough Public Library, MA

Copyright 2016 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

November 1, 2016
Grades 7-10 Who knew Kate's part-time internship in the district attorney's office would take over her life? Turns out there's been an accidental shooting (or maybe a murder?) at a notorious local party. The victim was part of a group of five well-connected friends, one of whose family owns the lodge where the shooting occurred. The DA assigns the investigation to Kate's boss, Mr. Stone, with the assumption that he will not dig too deep and the incident will be ruled an accident. Crime fiction fans know never to assume, of course, and the case races off with page-turning suspense. Kate takes crime-scene photos, adds commentary to witness video statements, tails the defendants, and, breaching ethical boundaries, becomes secretly involved with one of them. The plot builds cleverly, interspersed with text messages, mistaken identities, whiffs of political corruption, and mysterious narrations from someone who knows what happened. Readers will overlook the fact of a high-school intern practically running a heater case when the story becomes impossible to put down.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2016, American Library Association.)